


Happy For You

by genericfanatic



Series: Set Up Stories [2]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-28 09:04:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20776013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genericfanatic/pseuds/genericfanatic
Summary: Barry and Taako have a conversation, and then Lup and Kravitz talk as well.





	Happy For You

**Author's Note:**

> my brain is like soup in my brain right now, but have a fic and like it maybe

Barry was the best driver of his friends, in his opinion. His friend Davenport was a stunt driver, so he was technically more skilled, but he wasn’t as good as Barry at silly things like following traffic laws.

Therefore, he had set himself up as the designated driver in most cases. Luckily he was just driving Taako today, who was a self described terrible driver, and so didn’t protest.

He did have to sacrifice control of the radio, though, so he prepared for some blast of pop or EDM monstrosity. He was surprised and confused when instead Taako put on something purely instrumental, and it sounded almost classical. 

Barry raised an eyebrow, and when he safely reached a stoplight, looked over at Taako. He had his head tilted as though to better listen to the song, more like he was studying it than relaxing and enjoying. “Kravitz really turned you onto this classical stuff, huh?”

Taako smirked. “Kravitz turns me on in all kinds of ways,” he said. Barry groaned, he’d walked into that one. “And technically, this is romantic, not classical. Different time period.”

Barry made an ‘ah’ noise, “and, you like it?”

Taako bit his inner lip, “Yeah, kinda,” he said, “I don’t really get it, not in the way Kravitz does. But the way he gets talking about musical theory, and stuff...I see why he likes it. And I want to understand it better.” He chuckled, “You should ask him about the baroque period at some point, it’s HILARIOUS. Over a century old and the dude’s not over it yet.”

Barry laughed, “I’ll keep that in mind. But I get it. Sometimes it’s fun just hearing Lup talk about her cop stories or wrestling shows she watches, even though I don’t get it. It’s nice just to hear someone talk about what they’re passionate about.”

“My dude,” Taako said, with a little patronizing tone to his voice, “if one of y’all is needing out about your weird passions and the other likes listening, you are definitely doing the ranting. I can’t believe I caught my own sister pining over the different uses of formaldehyde.”

Barry managed a laugh and a blush at that. He’d been in denial as to why Lup would even listen to him. Sometimes he still didn’t believe it. “Well, I’m just glad you and Kravitz actually do more than just messing around in bed.” He tried to say it as a challenge, to embarrass Taako in his place.

Instead, he felt Taako leaning over (felt not saw, because he was driving again and keeping his eyes on the road) “you wanna know a secret?” He faux-whispered despite the fact they were the only people in the car. Barry didn’t look, but did raise an eyebrow, “sometimes I just fake the noises Harry and Sally style to annoy Lup.”

Barry blinked silently for a few moments. He reached another stoplight and allowed himself to take one hand off the wheel to massage his temples, “oh god, why’d you have to tell me that?” he asked. Taako cackled and the light switched, so he had to return his attention to the road, “Now every time I’m going to be wondering if you’re just pretending or not! I’ve just gotten to the point where I can comfortably faze it out!” 

Taako cackled all the louder, the agent of chaos that he was. “And you can’t tell Lup about it,” he said, “Not ever!”

Barry groaned, letting Taako’s laughter fade. “What DO you do holed up in there all the time?”

The last of Taako’s laughs left, leaving a wide smile on his face as he thought, “Just, talk really.” he said, “Me, mostly. I can talk for days.”

“I’m fully aware,” Barry said. 

“But with Krav, it’s like, talking about real stuff.” Taako fiddled with the threads on his jeans, “He’s been encouraging me to get back into doing videos. I mean, he said he’d ‘support me no matter what I chose’ and all that sappy shit. But talking about stuff, not just cooking or whatever, but like. Anything. And having an audience. That was some good shit.” He leaned his head against a window, “I don’t know. I don’t even know if it’s possible.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Barry said, “I don’t understand the first thing about youtube and online stuff and all that, but, if it makes you happy, you know Lup and I are all for it.”

Taako’s mouth twitched up a bit, “Don’t tell Lup about it for now, ok?” he said. Barry nodded, even though he wasn’t looking. “Anyway. Yeah. Sometimes we watch cutthroat kitchen and shit. But really its just like. A LOT of talking. And he listens, and it’s like, he never gets bored or anything and it’s just. Nice.”

“It sounds nice.” Barry said, “I’m happy for you Taako, I really am.”

Taako rolled his eyes, “Don’t patronize me, Barold.”

Barry didn’t have to look to know that despite his words, Taako was smiling. 

Lup jumped up on Kravitz’ desk, “Ready for tonight?”

Kravitz sighed, “If I say yes, will this end the conversation so I can get you to not sit on my paperwork?” 

“No,” Lup said, “But I will remind you of the life debt you owe me for getting you with mine own flesh and blood, before you complain.”

“You remind me every day,” Kravitz said, trying to pull his work out from under her butt without either ripping the paper or touching her butt. “Are you next going to remind me of the fact that if I hurt him in any way you will perform some type of heinous murder of which no one will find my body?”

Lup sighed, “Nah,” she said, “Barry said I need to stop doing that. Something about babying Taako too much.”

“You care about him,” Kravitz said, “I respect that. I do too.”

Lup squinted at him, “Stop being a decent person, it’s freaking me out.” 

Kravitz smirked, giving up on getting the paper back. “You know, Taako mentioned something to me. He said you tend to lash out like this when you’re feeling intimidated.”

Lup was stunned. She was so rarely truly stunned, like the words had hit her physically, but here she was.

Kravitz was smiling smugly, knowing he’d hit the nail on the head. “Do I intimidate you, detective?”

Lup grumped, smacking his shoulder. “I’m going to kill Taako.” Kravitz chuckled, and Lup took a breath, trying to figure out how to explain herself. “The thing is…” she slid off the desk and onto a chair beside him, “look, most of my life, people judged me on things I couldn’t change, not really. Where I was from, what gender I was, what I looked like. Even here, these chuckleducks are respectful cause they have to be, because I EARNED their respect, but I know they’d rather me not be around so they don’t have to challenge their minuscule world view.”

Kravitz nodded, smirk drifting to his more serious typical face. “I can certainly relate to that.”

“Exactly!” She said, “that’s the problem, you...you honestly don’t judge people like that. Which is good, but...everyone else’s opinion of me I can dismiss, easy. I’ve had to, to get where I am. But you...your judgement is based off ME. My actions. My sense of self.” She took a deep breath, “I dunno. That’s harder to dismiss.”

Kravitz picked up the report he’d been working on. “I don’t know what kind of judgements you think I’m making about you,” He said, picking up his pen to write and talk at the same time like some kind of robot. “I will admit to...frustration, at times. It seems like we don’t always click. But honestly, I’m so amused mostly because of the idea that you, Detective Lup, would be intimidated by anyone.”

Lup scoffed. “I’m not just some strong, powerful woman with slight pyromaniac tendencies,” she said, “I’m a fully realized person, with like, dimensions and stuff.”

“So am I,” Kravitz said, smiling. 

Lup sighed. “Walked into that one,” she said, “You really do deserve my brother.”

Kravitz smile widened into something genuine, “Thank you. That means a lot.”

Lup begrudgingly smiled herself. “Well, get to work,” She said, slapping his paper, “Chop chop, we got plans tonight.”

“I’m almost done,” he said, finishing out the form and putting it in his done box. “Ready?”

“Born ready!”Lup said, jumping up. She checked her phone, “Come on, they’re here.”

The pair of them made it out of the precinct and to the street, where Barry had parked their car. The front seat came tumbling open and Taako rushed out, his goal clear. 

“Taako,” Kravitz said, as Taako barrelled towards him, “Taako, careful, careful!” Kravitz managed to brace himself just in time as Taako jumped into his arms, legs around his waist and arms around his neck. It was a miracle Kravitz managed to stay standing. “Hi,” he said, exasperated. 

“Hi,” Taao said, with clearly no regrets. He kissed him, which gave Kravitz enough time to slowly slide him back onto the ground. 

Lup rolled her eyes as she took Taako’s place in the front seat. “Hey there,” she said. 

“Hey,” Barry leaned over and gave her a much chaster kiss than her brother’s, but she quickly grabbed his neck for something a bit longer. 

“Eugh, come on guys,” Taako said, sliding into the backseat, “Get a room.” He said it like he wasn’t still clutching Kravitz’ hand like if he stopped touching him he’d faint. 

Lup stuck up her middle finger at him, but did pull away. “Alright gang,” she said, “Lets get this double date on the ROAD!!!”

Taako cheered, Barry laughed, and Kravitz shook his head, but even he couldn’t hide his smile.

**Author's Note:**

> I might write more in this world idk. lemme know what you think.


End file.
